finished.

page 1,000.

half-way.

Ok... God officially has an incredible sense of humor!

My Aunt happens to be up visiting from San Jose and my mom and I got to have coffee with her this afternoon. When we met up, she told me, "Samara, my daughter had this wonderful English professor at Westmont last year who went to Oxford. She wrote a book that just had your name all over it... So we got you a copy."

Have you guessed it yet?

Of course, she pulled out of her bag... Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber.

Ahahahahaaaa!!! God is so funny and SO amazing!

For those not familiar, here is my past history with this amazing book.

And yes, I now own three copies of it =)

In fact, I've decided to name each copy after a different college. So, they are officially "Magdalen," "Christ Church," and "Worcester" haha

I am still blown away! In my heart, I was like, "Jesus, do I get to take this as another confirmation??"

And my cousin had her as a professor! I'm so jealous happy for her =D

I was flipping back through and reminded of some of my favorite parts (its only been 6 weeks, but I could read it all over again!).

All that to say, this book is amazing!

If you want to borrow a copy, leave a comment below =)

Fridays in Seattle

So excited for tonight!

First, a long awaited dinner with Miss Meg Landies at her "flat" in Queen Anne (hehe)

Then I'm off to Notions in Wedgewood.



friends, food, words - what's not to look forward to??

Moments of Samara's day:

"Every morning when I wake up and see that there's a whole new other day, I just go absolutely ape."

- Audrey Hepburn, Paris When it Sizzles

Actually I woke up late this morning and my first words were most likely, "Oh crap!" =/

But after pulling myself together, I was able to get myself out the door at a decent time and headed to work.

*   *   *

Today I embarked on my first real adventure into the land of Virginia Woolf.

It's intimidating. I've been keeping her at an arms length. Waiting for this match.

But, just a bit of the way into her autobiographical work Moments of Being, I feel honored that I get to read and work with this material.

But it will still be a challenge and I'm half-bracing for, half-excited to engage.

*   *   *

Today I went Starbucks on the Ave before class.

But as I reached for the door, I had one of those awkward, depth-perception issues.

I missed the door handle, but was already propelling my body backwards.

By the time I came to a stand-still a few feet from the door, I just had to stand there and laugh for a moment before walking my silly self into the coffee shop.

*   *   *

I got another friend hooked on Downton Abbey. 

I'd apologize to Hannah for the pain this will cause her and what it may do to her study time...

But I think its a worthy sacrifice haha.

*   *   *

I am so, SO excited for all that the Lord has in store for overflow this year.

Tonight at church, we found out that our normal small groups are restructuring and its going to involve so much more time for relationship. This is my gig. I want to live the Good News out with my "Oikos" (I confess, I got so giddy when he used this Greek term, literally "household").

And Jesus really convicted me tonight about doing everything for His glory. I'm praying that keeps developing in my life.

If it's not for His glory, it's not worth doing.

*   *   *

I think we could easily re-name "Congregation Meeting" to "Quarterly Hug-fest."

I must have literally gotten between 15 and 20 hugs tonight.

It did my heart good... and reminded me how much I miss working with Sue Hale =(

All that to say--I have fabulous friends and I love good hugs.

*   *   *

Finally,

Alex - if you're reading this, you owe me a comment haha =)

The facebook love continues from yet another friend... :-)

My friends know me too well.

Logged in to facebook this morning to find both of these treasures on my timeline =)



Both of these made me oh, so happy!

loves!

Thank God for fun-loving friends =)

Home alone with Clarissa and my tea misto =)

Finally reached page 500!

Chesterton, the Great

Because I'm reading him right now and reminded of all the reasons I adore him. Poet. Philosopher. Paradox.


“Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”


“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”


“Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.”


“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.”


“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.”


“It [feminism] is mixed up with a muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands.”


“There is the great lesson of 'Beauty and the Beast,' that a thing must be loved before it is lovable.” 

“Poets do not go mad; but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers; but creative artists very seldom. I am not, as will be seen, in any sense attacking logic: I only say that this danger does lie in logic, not in imagination.” 

“People wonder why the novel is the most popular form of literature; people wonder why it is read more than books of science or books of metaphysics. The reason is very simple; it is merely that the novel is more true than they are.” 

“We are perishing for want of wonder, not for want of wonders.”

“We are all in the same boat, in a stormy sea, and we owe each other a terrible loyalty.”

“If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might not the heart of man become in its long journey toward the stars?” 

“We should always endeavor to wonder at the permanent thing, not at the mere exception. We should be startled by the sun, and not by the eclipse. We should wonder less at the earthquake, and wonder more at the earth.”

“Jesus promised his disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.”

“It is well sometimes to half understand a poem in the same manner that we half understand the world.”

“Free verse'? You may as well call sleeping in a ditch 'free architecture'.”

“A thing may be too sad to be believed or too wicked to be believed or too good to be believed; but it cannot be too absurd to be believed in this planet of frogs and elephants, of crocodiles and cuttle-fish.”

“Romance is the deepest thing in life. It is deeper than reality.”

“I wish we could sometimes love the characters in real life as we love the characters in romances. There are a great many human souls whom we should accept more kindly, and even appreciate more clearly, if we simply thought of them as people in a story."

lovely!

Today

Snow. Starbucks. Tangled.

With this fun and fabulous lady

Being snowed-in is fun when you have cool neighbors =)

Bestie's Birthday!

Happy Birthday to one of my favoritest people!

Beks and I have been friends for 12 (can you believe it? 12!) years!

Together, we have shared adventures in Italy, Chicago, Orlando, California, and so many other places.

We can quote While You Were Sleeping, Return to Me, and a plethora of other chick flicks like nobodies business =)

We have enjoyed several important cinema events together--Beauty and the Beast IMAX, Bright Star, Pride and Prejudice (first time!!!!!), and most recently Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, just to name a few.

We have read books--remember freaking ourselves out that one summer with Phantom of the Opera and a wonderful overdose of Ted Dekker??

We have had amazing times of laughter and of tears and of working things through. But she has always loved me with a no-matter-what mentality, whether I deserved it or not. I swear she has a prophetic gifting--I can't even count the number of times where she's texted me out of the blue with just the right words when I've needed it the most.

I'm so grateful for you, my dear, zany, fun friend!

Much love Beks!! Have a great day!

New film to be on the look out for: The Words

Storyline: "When an aspiring writer claims another man's long lost work as his own, the price he must pay is more than he could ever have imagined."

Bradley Cooper stars as the aspiring writer; Jeremy Irons (!!) the older, true author.

Supporting cast includes: Zoe Saldana, Olivia Wilde, Dennis Quaid, Ben Barnes, and many others

Writing and Directing debuts of Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal--both long time friends of Cooper and both assistant writers for Tron: Legacy.

Honestly, the plot reminds me a bit of History of Love. I'm very much looking forward to this film.

Unfortunately, it is just now playing at the Sundance Film Festival with no US release date set at this point.

I love her too!

Too cute =)

500

500 posts in 3 years.

Thank you all.

With love,

Samara

Just came across this out-take from our Christmas Picture.

I love my family!!!

I literally have this note taped to my computer screen to keep me from getting distracted:

Hopefully this will help me accomplish more in Clarissa, Macbeth, and in Katherine Mansfield's short stories.

But feel free to call or text me today to make sure I'm actually studying ;-)

It's official...

I submitted my application to the University of Oxford.

...and now, to wait.

God, my Shepherd!
I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.


Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
makes me feel secure.


You serve me a six course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head,
my cup brims with blessing.


Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I'm back hom in the house of God
for the rest of my life.


- Psalm 23, The Message

Ahhh! I just finished the final (?) read through of my application materials.

To submit tonight or wait till dawn?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy nominated for 11 BAFTA's - including Costume Design.

Costume Design? Ummm... yes!



I seriously do not think I can wait until May!

It's official... I need to move to the UK.

My family

My dad was advising my brother on preparations before trekking out into the snow - 


Dad: Now, make sure you have a pair of heavy-duty shoes, gloves, a hat, an extra water bottle, and some food...
Sarah: "and your angry eyes, just in case."

Having a dangerous yet hilarious "abrev sesh" with my sister. "Totes" funny!
Hahaha

BAFTA nominations are being announced in less than 3 hours, but, alas, I have to leave for work early tomorrow. Choosing patience, albeit grudgingly =/

"don't be... dead."

Clarissa Letter 64.1 - Robert Lovelace to Clarissa Harlowe

This is seriously how he ends his letter:

"...may that God, whom you profess to serve, and who is the God of truth and of promises, protect and bless you, for both; and for restoring to Himself, and to hope, 

Your ever-adoring, yet

almost desponding

Lovelace!"

ahahahahaha!

[source]

so very true tonight ='(

How I feel about waking up to snow =)

I really miss these two - 

I miss - 

talking through our days

walks to jaunita beach

watching Downton and Sherlock together

people talking in their sleep ;)

walks to the "choo-choo train park"

concerning everyone at Honda (with Elle)

starbucks times

sharing a tiny mirror three ways (well, the laughter associated)

anglophile obsessions (mostly with Char)

late night conversations

late night conversations turned into giggle fits

inside jokes

journal sessions

movie nights

quotes

e.g - "Charlli Read. Oh yeah... she's really, really brilliant."

Elle's wit

Charlli's singing

thoughtful debates

boy talk (be lying if I didn't include it)

more walks

elaborately decorated gifts haha

dressing up

josh groban parodies

dreaming together

dance parties

les miserables

valentines!

Valentines with the Roommates + Kelsey

With Char + Elsa

MC graduation

Bring-a-friend-to-school day at UW ;)

On the way to ND for the Stevie Wedding + Elsa

Summer fun

Blue eyed ladies

Vision Banquet 12.31.2010

Last full day together 8.22.2011 =(

I'm so grateful I had you two as roommates! I'm so glad we got to share life together and that we'll always have these beautiful memories and many, many others. Miss you tons, but love you more!!!

Something I love about old English novels--referring to couples by the man's last name and the girl's first name. A few examples:

Darcy and Elizabeth

Emma and Knightley

Rochester and Jane

even Clarissa and Lovelace

While Fitzwilliam, George, Edward, and Robert are all fetching names... I like the affectionate formality of his last name. Its kind of cute.

(Cathy and Heathcliff don't count because Heathcliff only had one name =)

Totally just biffed it.

If any of you were just in the sanctuary to see me dramatically fall off the stage, I hope you found it as funny as I felt. Haha... stair fail!

[source]

concision.

friday night...

Well, after working one job in the morning, another in the afternoon, I was finally able to run some errands and make it home.

For dinner, I attempted these delicious parmesan roasted potatoes - 

[not my picture]

On the reading docket tonight:

a few short stories by Katherine Mansfield,

more Clarissa,

and Macbeth

I'm also going to be re-working my writing samples for the application

which is due in one week!!

[internal monologue: AAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!]

Anyway... back to my homework filled 3-day weekend =)

With just 8 days to go, I got the final confirmation this morning: all 3 of my references have been submitted.

Shaaaaba!

Got to hear the Word of the Lord from this amazing man tonight!

Just a few notes - 

God transforms the ordinary to the extra-ordinary.

"So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand." (Ex. 4.20)

You don't know what your staff is until you need it.

The Lord is calling us to be "I can" people.

When facing impossibilites--"I can."

Making headway in Clarissa... but 215 pages in and I feel like I'm still in the intro.

"If you were to read Richardson for the story, your impatience would be so much fretted that you would hang yourself."

- Samuel Johnson on Clarissa, 1755

Side note: I just realized that it looks like I'm wearing the exact same outfit in this picture as in the last one. In my defense, I am a poor college student, I have two look-alike sweaters, and this is a favorite scarf. Just in case anyone was wondering haha